“A dwindling population does little to spur economic growth. Pennsylvania’s GDP expanded by only 0.6% in 2016, even as the U.S. economy grew by 1.5%,” the report finds.

To come up with its findings, 24-7 Wall Street compiled data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center. Researchers also reviewed each state's change in its labor force from 2011 to 2016.

"While some states have been hurt by or benefited from circumstances that are almost entirely out of lawmakers’ control -- like the presence of natural resources -- other states have been directly hindered by their own policymakers," according to the study. "Many states have promised public employees more than they can afford to pay and now have woefully underfunded pension systems. Across all states, an average of only 71.6% of public pensions have financial backing."